For my research paper I am going to be writing about the Cosmopolitan website. I am going to be discussing how this Website conveys negative messages towards women. Not only does this Website send wrong messages to women, the fact that it is on the internet and not in magazine form is an issue as well. Young people are being exposed to the internet at an increasingly fast pace in society today. Having this magazine in internet form makes it increasingly detrimental to women because they are more readily exposed to the information on the website. They are able to view the information on this website at simply the click of a button. Young women may view this information on their phone or privacy of their own computer without their parents knowing. Young adolescents are fragile and vulnerable and being exposed to potentially detrimental text and advertisements at such a young age, may make this website even more dangerous.
I am going to compare the Cosmopolitan Website to other women’s Websites and find ones that are similar to this Website and ones that are different. I may also compare this Website to men’s Websites. In my research paper I am going to be discussing ways that this Cosmopolitan Website could change the context on its Website so that it is an empowering and uplifting sight for women. Instead of having advertisements that discuss weight loss and tips for looking perfect in a bikini, this Website could contain information on healthy foods to eat and how to be mentally healthy in your own skin. Instead of containing beauty tips on how to look like celebrities and how to change one in order to look like them, the Cosmopolitan Website could contain tips on how to strengthen hair or show models of all different sizes. I am sort of taking two parts on this paper, I am discussing the negative advertisements on this Website, as well as why it is even more detrimental because it is on the internet.

For my second formal writing I chose the Cosmo website for women. I have been writing about how this website sends messages towards women that may potentially become violent. I am also discussing how this website is extremely heteronormative and causes “othering.” Through the ads and text on the website, young women may be seriously affected by websites such as these. The scary fact of information like this being on a website is that it is even more easily accessible and available to women. Many young women may be visiting websites such as these without a parent knowing. Many phones are currently easily accessible to the internet which is also a factor about this website.
For my third paper, as of now, I am going to continue to use this same website and discuss how it could be changed to bring across more positive messages. I am also going to write about men’s websites that are similar to these and how they are different from women’s. I would also like to write about how I think this website and websites like this one will change in the future and what I think is actually going to happen. I am interested in researching the back ground and history of this website to find out some more about it.
Last Tuesday when we watched the video about the women with the disability of having no legs, I had mixed feelings about the show. I don’t think the show was trying to make fun of this woman. However, I think if the show was geared more towards the medical aspect then it would make the show more credible. I found the show interesting to watch but I think it is geared more towards human interest, instead of education.

2-16

I feel like I have constantly had the Olympics on since they have started. I’m not a huge sports person but I think they are sometimes interesting to watch and especially the Olympics since they do not occur that often. When were in class on Friday and talking about the readings and how women are seen as less and weaker then mean, and in turn this is a form of a disability. I never really thought of it that way but it definitely seems to fit the mold for how our society seems to think today. The more I thought about it I noticed more parallels with how society thinks of women and of those people who have a disability.
Back to the Olympics…women and men’s sports are also different from each other. When I think of the Olympics I think of the women participating ice skating and the men participating in snow boarding. The fact that that was the first thing that came to my mind future shows how gender stereotypes have been instilled in our brains. Women have different adaptations and rules for their sports in the Olympics and they are often viewed as the slower ones. Women definitely play a huge role in every sport in the Olympics but I still feel like there is a parallel between women's sports and the idea that women are seen as having a “disability.” Clearly there are aspects in sports where men would be faster and stronger because of the way that they are built. However, I feel that there is still an idea of weakness placed on women in sports then in men. I believe that I have been instilled with these ideas because of the media through methods from magazine advertisements, to commercials TV programs. I will definitely continue to watch the Olympics and look for incidents of gender stereotyping.

I was really shocked by the TV program that we watched the other day in class. I have never seen a show like this before, and to be honest, I didn’t even really know any shows like this existed. I think it was bold and daring of the producers to create this show and I’m proud of them for doing so. Even though there were many parts that I found unrealistic, I thought the TV show made many good points about heterosexuality and homosexuality. I think this show is geared towards homosexuals and heterosexuals. I don’t think I would necessarily be interested in watching this show on a daily basis, but I would be interested in seeing how the TV producers carried on the show and changed it in future episodes and seasons. I wonder if it continues to be unrealistic? Perhaps I will look into a synopsis of future episodes.

For my second formal writing I would like to use the “Real Housewives of Orange County” TV show. The show portrays women who live in Orange County as, slender, wealthy, gorgeous, and having the perfect life. My sister lives in Newport Beach, in Orange County, so I thought it would be interesting to use this show for my paper because I have been to Orange County many times. This show portrays an image that if you are from Orange County, you will portray these qualities. I think it also puts pressure on women who live in this area as well. I asked my sister how she felt about the show. She said that the show is unrealistic and makes her feel like she needs to fit into a particular mold of people. She admitted that she does watch the show and finds it entertaining. However, she said she must not take it too seriously or else she will drive herself crazy. I thought it was interesting and enlightening to hear her views about this show.

1-26-10

I found all of the magazine cover presentations to be interesting and intriguing. I’ve really started noticing and realizing magazine covers and how there lay out has a purpose. I’ve always noticed and realized that magazines usually use the “sex sells” idea for the covers and content, but I have never really noticed much about the text on the page. I didn’t realize what an emphasis is even placed on the size and color of the text, not even including the content.

My group discussed the bridal magazine cover. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever looked through a bridal magazine maybe more than five times in my entire life, but I found the fact about the difference the celebrities make on the cover very intriguing. The content on the bridal magazines is shocking as well. I looked through some other covers of bridal magazines and it seems like the trend continues. I think it is difficult to find a balance because as women we typically want to plan our wedding and would be upset if we had no say in it, but then at the same time we are upset when we do the entire thing by ourselves. I definitely think then the men should have some say in the planning of a wedding so they understand all that goes into it.

Some other headlines that I found on the covers of some other bridal magazines include, “Tuxedo fashion for your man” “having the body you want for the big day” “the ultimate checklist” “11 ways to cut your bill” and “16 things to do once you get the ring.” Even though some of these headlines may have worthwhile content at face value they seem to be degrading and make “light” of the idea of marriage. I searched but still never found a completely credible bridal magazine. If anyone finds one that seems completely legitimate let me know!

1-19

The reading “Unbearable Weight” discussed issues with femininity and anorexia. One quote that I found particularly interesting was “The Body-what we eat, how we dress, and the daily rituals through which we attend to the body-is a medium of culture.” I agree with this statement. We go about our daily lives doing what we think we want to do or should do, but how we act is often influenced by others around us. I believe our culture today shapes and influences us to be how we are. Many things such as clothing styles or certain trends tend to be things that people do because others are doing them. Many things people wouldn’t do if they didn’t see others doing the same thing.
I think this is one of the main problems with anorexia and weight issues in today’s society. Since the strain on being slender is so large and publicly displayed, it seems to almost be the norm. If women see other women worrying about weight and taking drastic measures to stay thin, it almost makes it seem okay, when in reality it is far from okay. While we were in class and talking about the “Biggest Loser” show, I started thinking about other shows as well. Fashion and modeling shows have become very popular, such as “America’s Next Top Model.” In have always loved these types of shows and I’ve never really thought about the negative effect they may have on others. Even though they have sometimes had plus size models on the show, they hardly appear to be overweight. Each one of the models are clearly very skinny, and again, they have the body type that the “Killing Us Softly” movie discussed is unrealistic. I started thinking about how it would affect men if they were to have modeling shows like these. I believe that it would have a negative effect on men as well. The sad thing is that in the future I feel like TV programs like these will only become more popular, and in return, will continue this upward spiral of weight issues in today’s society. I am interested to see if any new shows occur or if changes will be made to shows like these in the future. Perhaps a model TV show with men or all plus size women will be produced.

1-11 Blog

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Tkac. I am a senior this year and I am planning on graduating this June. I am from Columbus, Ohio and have lived there my entire live. The majority of my relatives live in Ohio, mostly Cleveland. As of now I am planning on getting my masters right after I graduate. I’m not sure what I want to get it in yet. I am an Early Childhood Education major. I may get it in counseling or reading education. I will most likely attend Ohio University for my Masters degree. After college I would love to eventually live somewhere warm. My sister lives in California and I always enjoy going out to go visit her. I would love to potentially also live in South Carolina. When I start my career I would like to teach kindergarten. This quarter I am student teaching in the toddler room every day at the Child Development Center at the Ridges. So far I have been enjoying my experiences there. I am also interested in child psychology and would be open to a career in such a field in the future.I thought the topic of women and writing would be interesting and I have talked to people who have taken this course and recommended it. I think the topic of heteronormativity and how sex is portrayed in the media is very interesting. I feel like it is relevant and present in our lives on a day to day basis. The media is such a huge part of our lives and we are exposed to many issues that we are probably not even aware of. After our discussion in class last Thursday I thought about heteronormativity and about how those who do not fall under this norm are sometimes alienated and sometimes even in a violent way. I hope that someday in the future this norm may widen and people as a whole may be more accepting to others and their differences.Today we talked about how heteronormativity can become violent. I agree with what we discussed in class about how women may feel a certain societal pressure to be a certain way, and it turn it is detrimental to our health. I also agree that men have certain issues with being dominant and strong that are detrimental to their health as well. I found the readings that we went over in class today to be true and interesting. Especially how women may use their bodies in social situations. I think the example we used in class about women sometimes dress in a certain way in social situations to receive a desired outcome is definitely relevant in society today. Another issue that I feel is relevant to our lives today is the fact that sometimes women may dress to impress other women and men meanwhile are apathetic to what they are wearing. These ideas are social norms that I believe we often don't notice because we are so accustomed to them.